Straight-bar knitting machine



Oct. 28, 1941. w START ETAL 2,261,079

. STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1941 Figz Patented Oct.28, 1941 2,261,079 STRAIGHT-BAR. KNITTING MACHINE Harry Wilfred Start,Carlton; and Ernest Start,

Wilford, England, assignors to George Blackburn'and Sons Limited,Nottingham, England Application June .19, 1941. Serial No. 398,818 .InGreat Britain April 23, 1940 Claims. (01. es -'90) This inventionrelates to improvements in straight-bar knitting machines and relates tomachines provided for knitting tabs to a part of a garment such as theheel tabs which are knitted to a blank comprising the leg and footportion of a stocking and which are provided with two groups of needlesand with knockingover bits which are carried by a bar disposed in frontof the needle bar.

In order to knit the heel tabs to the blank the latter is first run onthe needles whilst the latter are withdrawn from their operativeposition and the foot portion is disposed on the front or bearded sideof the needles and hangs down over the knocking-over bits whilst the legportion is disposed on the rear side of the needles, The needles arethen moved into their operative position and the first course drawn onthe two sets of needles and the needles then moved into their lowermostposition. Whilst the needles are in this position that portion of theblank which is disposed on the front of the needles is withdrawn 7 ontothe rear side of the needles.

The needles are then raised and knitting of the heel tabs continued inthe usual manner.

It will be understood that when the blank is placed in position on theneedles the foot portion of the blank extends across from one set ofneedles to the other and hangs down over the knocking-over bits andbehind the needle bar. When this part of the blank is withdrawn onto therear side of the needles the latter are in their lowest position and thebeards of the needles extends down below the undersides of the knockingover bits. As the knocking-over bits are carried from a bar disposed infront of the needle bar there is nothing to prevent the blank catchingon the beards of the needles disposed on the inner sides of the twogroups when the foot portion is withdrawn onto the rear sides of theneedles. This is a disadvantage as the blank frequently catches on thebeards when it is being withdrawn and apart from the fact that it maydamage the needles or the blank, time is lost in getting it free again,

The object of the present invention is to prevent the blank catching onthe needles and so obviate damage or loss of time.

According to thisinvention a guard is secured on the knocking-over barand extends rearwardly and downwardly between the two groups of needlesto hold that part of the blank which is disposed on the frontof theneedles clear of the latter.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to:the accompanying drawing in which: -i

Fig. 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of a knocking-over barfitted with a guard according to our invention, Fig. 3 is a section onthe line XX of Fig. 2 and Fig, 4 is a section of a knocking-over barshowing the needles in their lowermost position after drawing the firstcourse through the blank.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawing.

In carrying out this invention the guard A is secured to theknocking-over bar B and extends the full distance between the two groupsof knocking-over bits B B carried by the bar. The guard is provided withan extension C or with lugs and is secured by this extension or the lugsto the knocking-over bar B and when in position extends towards the rearof the machine and passes between the two groups of needles when thelatter and the knocking-over bits are in their operative positions. Theguard passes between the needles at approximately the same level as thetops of the knocking-over bits B B and is then turned downwardly so thatthe rear edge A of the guard extends some little distance past theneedles and below the points of the beards when the needles are in theirlowest position as shown in Fig. 4.

The sinker sley provided in machines of this type is cut away betweenthe two groups of sinkers to provide clearance for the guard,

The guard may be formed from a casting or a plate of suitable thicknessbent to the required shape. The ends of the guard may be made higherthan the middle to further assist in hold- I ing the blank D (see Fig.4) clear of the needle beards when it is being withdrawn by the operatorof the machine. 7

When a machine for the purpose described is fittedwith a guard asdescribed there is no likelihood of the blank catching on the beards ofthe needles when being withdrawn from the front of the needles to therear and the guard also forms a support on the underside of the blankand enables the operator to more readily obtain a hold on the blank inorder to withdraw it.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a straight-bar knitting machine of the kind described thecombination with the knocking-over bar of a guard disposed between thetwo groups of knocking-over bits to prevent the work extending in frontof the needles during the formation of the first course catching on theneedle beards when it is withdrawn onto the rear side of the needlessubstantially as described.

2. In a straight-bar knitting machine of the kind described thecombination with the knocking-over bar of a guard secured thereto andextending across between the two groups of knocking-over bits andrearwardly and downwardly between the needles when the latter and theknocking-over bar are in operative position substantially as described.

3. In a straight-bar knitting machine of the kind described thecombination with the knocking-over bar of a guard which extends acrossbetween the two groups of knocking-over bits and passes between theneedles at approximately the same level as the tops of the knocking-overbits and extends down to a point below the points of the needle beardswhen the needles are in their lowest position substantially asdescribed..

4. In a straight-bar knitting machine of the kind described thecombination with the knocking-over bar of a guard disposed between thetwo groups of knocking-over bits and having sides which pass between theneedles at approximately the same level as the tops of the knockingoverbits a centre disposed at a lower level than the sides and a rear edgewhich extends down below the points of the needle beards when the latterare in their lowest position substantially as described.

5. In a straight-bar knitting machine'of the kind described thecombination with the knocking-over bar of a guard comprising a framedisposed between the two groups-of knocking-over bits and having a frontedge secured to the knocking-over bar, sides passing between the needlesat a point approximately level with the tops of the knocking-over bitsand a rear edge which extends down below the points of the needlesbeards when the needles are in their lowest position,

HARRY WILFRED START. ERNEST START.

